By SewerAILearning Objectives
- Describe what SewerAI does and why automated defect coding matters for wastewater utilities
- Explain how computer vision speeds up standardized inspection coding
- Identify how SewerAI turns inspection data into risk-ranked rehabilitation plans
What Is SewerAI?
SewerAI is a software company that applies computer vision to the inspection and management of wastewater pipes. Founded in 2018 and based in Danville, California, SewerAI helps utilities and inspection contractors work through the mountains of video footage generated when crews send cameras through sewer lines. Its flagship capability, AutoCode, assigns standardized defect codes directly from inspection footage at high accuracy and several times faster than a person coding the same footage by hand.
Beyond coding, SewerAI offers a Risk and Rehab product that takes the coded CCTV data and translates it into risk-ranked rehabilitation and capital plans. That means a utility can move from raw inspection video to a prioritized list of which pipes to fix first, backed by consistent condition data. Together the products help utilities and contractors clear inspection backlogs and make better-informed investment decisions about aging underground infrastructure.
💡Key Concept
NASSCO Defect Coding: A widely used industry standard for describing the condition of pipes seen in inspection video, developed by the National Association of Sewer Service Companies (NASSCO). It defines consistent codes for defects such as cracks, breaks, root intrusion, and corrosion, so that condition assessments are comparable across inspectors, contractors, and utilities — the foundation for sound rehabilitation and capital planning.
What SewerAI Does
- Automated defect coding — AutoCode assigns standardized NASSCO-style defect codes directly from inspection footage
- High speed and accuracy — codes footage several times faster than manual review while maintaining high accuracy
- Risk ranking — Risk and Rehab converts coded conditions into risk-ranked rehabilitation priorities
- Capital planning support — turns inspection results into capital and rehabilitation plans
- Backlog clearance — helps utilities and contractors work through large volumes of uncoded inspection video
How AI Is Applied
SewerAI's core is computer vision. Its models are trained on large volumes of sewer inspection footage to recognize the visual patterns of specific defects — the fractures, root masses, deposits, and structural damage that determine a pipe's condition — and to translate what the camera sees into standardized codes. This automates the most time-consuming and subjective part of the inspection workflow: sitting through footage and manually recording each defect.
The Risk and Rehab layer builds on that coded data. Once conditions are captured consistently, the platform can rank pipe segments by risk and help prioritize which assets need attention first. This is a genuine machine-vision application: the value comes from reliably reading inspection video at scale, which produces the consistent, structured condition data that good rehabilitation planning depends on.
Who Uses SewerAI
SewerAI is used by wastewater utilities and the inspection contractors that survey sewer networks for them. Its users include asset managers and engineers who need consistent condition data for capital planning, and inspection teams and contractors who need to code large volumes of footage quickly and clear backlogs.
Pricing
SewerAI is enterprise software with quote-based pricing. Costs depend on the volume of inspection footage processed, the products used, and the number of users. Utilities and contractors contact SewerAI directly for a tailored quote.
Company Details
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Company | SewerAI |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Headquarters | Danville, California |
| Category | AI-powered wastewater pipe inspection and condition assessment |
| Products | AutoCode, Risk and Rehab |
| Website | sewerai.com |
Strengths
- Fast, consistent coding — AutoCode codes footage several times faster than manual review at high accuracy
- Standards-based — produces standardized defect codes that are comparable across inspectors and utilities
- Beyond coding — Risk and Rehab turns condition data into risk-ranked rehabilitation and capital plans
- Backlog relief — helps utilities and contractors clear large volumes of uncoded inspection video
- Better decisions — consistent condition data supports smarter, evidence-based capital investment
Limitations and Considerations
- Footage-dependent — accuracy relies on the quality of the underlying inspection video
- Review and oversight — automated coding still benefits from professional review, especially on ambiguous defects
- Standards fit — coding must align with the defect-classification standard the utility follows
- Enterprise scope — quote-based and aimed at utilities and contractors, not individual users
Key Takeaways
- SewerAI applies computer vision to wastewater inspection, with AutoCode assigning standardized defect codes several times faster than manual coding
- Its Risk and Rehab product turns coded CCTV data into risk-ranked rehabilitation and capital plans
- The AI is a genuine machine-vision capability that produces the consistent condition data good planning depends on
- Best for wastewater utilities and inspection contractors that need to clear inspection backlogs and prioritize pipe rehabilitation
